Matthews Beach & Thornton Creek

Trip

Day Hike - Maple Leaf & Thornton Creek Stairways

Early evening Seattle Stairways walk along Thornton Creek from Lake City Way to Northgate Mall and return.

  • Easy
  • Mileage: 4.7 mi
  • Elevation Gain: 633 ft

We'll meet shortly before 6pm, Tuesday, April 11, at the corner of Lake City Way and NE 98th St. Nearest Metro bus stop is #372 but # 309 and #312 are not far.

This dayhike is another in a series of early evening (6 to 8pm) urban adventures from Seattle Stairways Walks -- Maple Leaf and Thornton Creek #5. We look way down to Thornton Creek twice on the walk, eyeball to eyeball with the tops of tall trees.  And we explore restored natural areas along this longest creek in Seattle. An unexpected treat is the exploration of the Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel at the east side of Northgate Mall.  We'll stop at upper and lower Beaver Pond Natural Area tucked beside apartment complexes -- likely muddy this time of year.

Route/Place

Matthews Beach & Thornton Creek


Roster
Required Equipment

Required Equipment

The Ten Essentials

  1. Navigation
  2. Sun protection
  3. Insulation (extra clothing)
  4. Illumination
  5. First aid supplies
  6. Fire
  7. Repair kit and tools, including knife
  8. Nutrition (extra food)
  9. Hydration (extra water)
  10. Emergency shelter
Trip Reports